The Risk Factors of Lymphedema in Breast Cancer Patients Post Axillary Clearance

Introduction: Breast cancer is the number one malignancy affecting females in Saudi Arabia with a prevalence of 22.4%. Breast cancer incidence increases annually due to the aid of established screening programs, leading to the discovery of breast cancer in its early stages. Surgical treatment is an integral part of early breast cancer management to achieve local control. Axillary surgical interventions such sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and axillary lymph node clearance (ALND) aim to stage the axilla as an adjunct to the management of the primary breast tumor. In this paper, we reviewed female breast cancer patients aged 30 - 60 who underwent surgical treatment of SLNB and/or ALND with reporting the prevalence of lymphedema and other associated complications and risk factors. Methodology: A cross-sectional non-interventional study, with a sample size of 250 including breast cancer cases from 2016 to 2019 at National Guard Hospital (NGH) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Results: A total of 253 breast cancer cases were included in this study, with a mean age of 53 years, 52.7% were postmenopausal and positive family history was present among 21% of cases. Further, 90.9% of the cases had unilateral disease. Staging was as follows: stage I 14.5%, stage II 45.2%, stage III 37.1%, and stage IV 3.2%. Mastectomy was done in 73.4% cases and lumpectomy was performed in 34.1% of cases. In addition, 93.3% of patients had SLNB and 49% of them were positive. Axillary dissection was performed in 69.6% of our patients. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy were given to 71.8% and 80.4% of cases respectively. Among the chemotherapy (chemo) recipients, 40.2% received adjuvant chemo, 54.5% received neoadjuvant chemo, and the remaining 5.3% received both. Further, the most prevalent complication was pain accounting for 42.1% of total complications, and the least prevalent was cellulitis 4%. Also, seroma developed in 18.3% cases, paresthesia noted in 5.6% of cases, winged scapula was reported as 2%, weakness and necrosis were seen in 6% and 13.1% of cases respectively. Axillary vein thrombosis and lymphangiosarcoma were reported in none of the patients (0%). Lymphoedema accounted for 16.1% of overall complications, 85% of the patients who developed lymphedema had undergone ALND, and 12.9% and 14.4% received radiotherapy and chemotherapy respectively. Lymphedema was observed in breast cancer stages as follows: stage I 1.2%, stage II 7.2%, and stage III 5.2%. Patients with body mass index (BMI) of 30 - 39 kg/m2 had 7.2% prevalence of lymphedema compared to other BMI groups. Overall mortality was 8.3%. Conclusion: The findings of our study suggest that the prevalence of lymphedema was higher in ALND patients with locally advanced tumors, and higher BMI, compared to patients with stage I breast cancer and low BMI. Further, the prevalence of lymphedema in patients who underwent ALND was significantly lower than those who were treated by lumpectomy 10.3% (p-value = 0.034) in comparison to mastectomy 19.3%.

Efficacy and prognosis of mastoscopic axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer:a systematic evaluation and meta-analysis

Objective:To systematically evaluate the efficacy and prognosis of breast lumpectomy axillary lymphatic dissection for the treatment of breast cancer.Methods:We use computer to search PubMed,The Cochrane Library,EMBASE,Web of Science,China Knowledge Network,Wanfang database,VIP database and CBM for randomized controlled trials(RCTs)of breast lumpectomy in axillary lymphatic dissection for breast cancer.The search time frame was from the database establishment to July 2021.Meta-analysis was performed using Revman 5.4.1 software after 2 investigators independently screened the literature,extracted information,and evaluated the risk of bias of the included studies.Results:A total of 20 RCTs including 2672 patients were included.Mastoscopic axillary lymph node dissection(MALND)was used in the trial group and conventional axillary lymph node dissection(CALND)was used in the control group.The results showed that the trial group was more effective in controlling bleeding volume[MD=-54.72,95%CI(-79.73,-29.71),P<0.00001],postoperative drainage[MD=-98.99,95%CI(-128.83,-69.15),P<0.00001],length of hospital stay[MD=-2.75,95%CI(-4.67,-0.83),P=0.005],and incidence rate of adverse reaction[RR=0.30,95%CI(0.19,0.45),P<0.00001]were superior to the control group,and the differences were statistically significant.Conclusions:Current evidence suggests that MALND can achieve better outcomes compared with CALND.It is more advantageous in controlling the bleeding volume,postoperative drainage,length of hospital stays,and incidence rate of adverse events.

Clinicopathological features,psychological status,and prognosis of 33 patients with occult breast cancer

BACKGROUND Occult breast cancer(OBC)has traditionally been considered to be a carcinoma of unknown primary origin with a favorable prognosis and can be treated as stage II-III breast cancer.Due to the small number of cases and limited clinical experience,treatments vary greatly around the world and no standardized treatment has yet been established.AIM To investigate the clinicopathological features,psychological status and prognostic features of patients with OBC.METHODS The clinicopathological data of 33 OBC patients diagnosed and treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University and Xuzhou Central Hospital from November 2015 to November 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.The psychological status of OBC patients was evaluated by the Self-rating Anxiety Scale and Self-rating Depression Scale.Patients’emotions,stress perception and psychological resilience were evaluated by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule,the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale,and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale(CD-RISC),respectively.Patient survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method,and survival curves were plotted for analysis with the log-rank test.Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed using the Cox regression model.RESULTS The 33 OBC patients included 32 females and 1 male.Of the 33 patients,30(91%)had axillary tumors,3(9%)had a neck mass as the primary symptom;18(54.5%)had estrogen receptor-positive tumors,17(51.5%)had progesterone receptor-positive tumors,and 18(54.5%)had Her-2-positive tumors;24(72.7%)received surgical treatment,including 18 patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy,1 patient who underwent breast-conserving surgery plus axillary lymph node dissection(ALND),and 5 patients who underwent ALND alone;12 patients received preoperative neoadjuvant therapy.All 30 patients developed anxiety and depression,with low positive affect scores and high negative affect scores,accompanied by a high stress level and poor psychological resilience.There were no differences in the psychological status of patients according to age,body mass index,or menopausal status.The overall survival and disease-free survival(DFS)of all the patients were 83.3%and 55.7%,respectively.Univariate analysis demonstrated that the initial tumor site(P=0.021)and node stage(P=0.020)were factors that may affect patient prognosis.The 5-year DFS rate of OBC patients who received radiotherapy was greater(P<0.001),while the use of different surgical methods(P=0.687)had no statistically significant effect on patient outcomes.Multivariate analysis revealed that radiotherapy(P=0.031)was an independent prognostic factor.Receiving radiotherapy had a significant effect on the CD-RISC score(P=0.02).CONCLUSION OBC is a rare breast disease whose diagnosis and treatment are currently controversial.There was no significant difference in the efficacy of other less invasive surgical procedures compared to those of modified radical mastectomy.In addition,radiotherapy can significantly improve patient outcomes.We should pay attention to the psychological state of patients while they receive antitumor therapy.

Macrometastasis at selective lymph node biopsy:A practical goingfor-the-one clinical scoring system to personalize decision making

BACKGROUND Axillary sentinel lymph node biopsy(SLNB)is standard treatment for patients with clinically and pathological negative lymph nodes.However,the role of completion axillary lymph node dissection(cALND)following positive sentinel lymph node biopsy(SLNB)is debated.AIM To identify a subgroup of women with high axillary tumor burden undergoing SLNB in whom cALND can be safely omitted in order to reduce the risk of longterm complications and create a Preoperative Clinical Risk Index(PCRI)that helps us in our clinical practice to optimize the selection of these patients.METHODS Patients with positive SLNB who underwent a cALND were included in this study.Univariate and multivariate analysis of prognostic and predictive factors were used to create a PCRI for safely omitting cALND.RESULTS From May 2007 to April 2014,we performed 1140 SLN biopsies,of which 125 were positive for tumor and justified to practice a posterior cALND.Pathologic findings at SLNB were micrometastases(mic)in 29 cases(23.4%)and macrometastasis(MAC)in 95 cases(76.6%).On univariate analysis of the 95 patients with MAC,statistically significant factors included:age,grade,phenotype,histology,lymphovascular invasion,lymph-node tumor size,and number of positive SLN.On multivariate analysis,only lymph-node tumor size(≤20 mm)and number of positive SLN(>1)retained significance.A numerical tool was created giving each of the parameters a value to predict preoperatively which patients would not benefit from cALND.Patients with a PCRI≤15 has low probability(<10%)of having additional lymph node involvement,a PRCI between 15-17.6 has a probability of 43%,and the probability increases to 69%in patients with a PCRI>17.6.CONCLUSION The PCRI seems to be a useful tool to prospectively estimate the risk of nodal involvement after positive SLN and to identify those patients who could omit cALND.Further prospective studies are necessary to validate PCRI clinical generalization.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Axillary Web Syndrome:An Overview

Axillary web syndrome(AWS)is a self-limiting disease that can occur as an early or possibly late postoperative complication post-axillary surgery.This syndrome is characterized by the spread of the cords of subcutaneous tissue extending from the axilla into the arm and is clinically associated with pain and limited movement of the shoulder in the affected limb.Although its pathophysiology is not well established,the most common cause is surgery-related axillary lymphatic injury.Both the echography and magnetic resonance imaging results support the lymphatic hypothesis.The diagnosis of AWS is based on physical examination.Risk factors may include extensiveness of surgery,younger age,hypertension,lower body mass index,ethnicity,and healing complications.Effective clinical intervention shortens the natural course of AWS and improves the quality of life of patients with AWS.Treatments may include physical therapy,drug therapy,manual drainage,instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization(IASTM),thoracic manipulation and stretching,manual axial distraction,percutaneous needle cord disruption with fat grafting and Xiaflex injection,and surgical intervention.Routine surgical treatment for AWS may not be recommended.Further research is needed to provide more comprehensive improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of AWS.